Sunday, January 27, 2008

"The Wind That Shakes the Barley"

With any movie that is connected with actual historical events it is always interesting to analyze the movie in a way that allows the audience to connect with the writer and director. That is to say that quite often when writers and directors are dealing with polarizing events like the Irish civil war, their own personal beliefs on the situation tend to dictate the attitude of the movie. Oliver Stone's movie "Platoon" is an excellent example of this, after watching the movie one feels as if they have just had a conversation with Oliver Stone about the Vietnam War, and now know that he was against the war but nonetheless has respect for those that fought in it and the brotherhood of the bush. "The Wind That Shakes the Barley" is interesting in that after watching the movie one has absolutely no idea who the writer and director side with, Damien or Teddy. While one must feel sorry for both brothers at the end of the film, the writer and director do an excellent job in creating a somewhat objective look at the Irish Civil war and their struggle for independence. This objective portrayal of an event like the Irish Civil war is particularly interesting and useful in that it makes for an interesting and somewhat educational film. While the storyline engages the audience enough to keep their attention for the duration of the two hour movie, the constant question of which brother to side with allows the watcher to critically think about the movie and about really feel as though he or she got something out of it. Overall the engaging nature and objective protrayla of the Irish Civil war makes for a greatly entertaining film.